The Deputy stated: “The aim of Fine Gael’s jobs policy is to achieve three goals. Getting people back to work; making Ireland a better place to do business; and getting more Irish business to look beyond our borders and to sell on a global scale. Unlike the Labour Party and others we will not increase direct taxes on jobs and enterprise to promote job creation and investment. Youth unemployment is endemic in this recession. To stop our young talent leaving Ireland, Fine Gael is proposing over 45,000 placements in a range of new training, job placement and educational opportunities.
Our National Internship Programme will provide 23,000 placements in the public and private sector for unemployed graduates; 17,000 additional second chance education places will be provided for those who left school early. There will be a temporary increase in the number of community unemployment places to provide real on the job experience in our communities. We will halve the jobs tax on the lowest paid. Fianna Fail made the indefensible decision to slash the minimum wage. Instead Fine Gael will cut in half employers PRSI on the lowest paid to protect their jobs and to encourage new jobs,’’continued the Fine Gael General Election candidate.

The document, ‘Working for our Future,’ proposes investing €7 billion in water infrastructure, broadband and energy. This would be funded by money from the National Pension Reserve Fund and by selling off €4 billion in State assets, including Bord Gais and the ESB power generation arm. We will reduce the cost of Government-imposed red tape on business by €500 million, in part by streamlining business inspections under a Business Inspection and Licensing Authority and a single Food Inspectorate.
Fine Gael will radically increase Irish Exports. A new ‘Home to Export’ programme will be established to share the expertise of exporting companies with firms currently reliant on declining domestic markets. A ‘Source Ireland’ portal will be developed to market Irish goods and services abroad. Service companies that export more than 90% of their output will be allowed become VAT exempt, improving their cash-flows and cutting down on red tape.

We will develop Ireland as a ‘digital island’ and first-mover when it comes to information technology. We will put in place specific strategies to support high-potential growth sectors, such as international education, digital gaming, financial services and tourism. Fine Gael policies will get this country back on track.” concluded Deputy Coonan.

How are more internships going to help? Young People want a JOB not an internship, there are already god-only-knows how many unpaid internships being advertised with FAS for graduates. An internship is just postponing unemployment, if there are no jobs, then you can have all the experience you want, but there will still be no jobs after you’ve done it!